Memory Lane
by Mitsu Flame
Summary: HxB one-shot. Botan is woken up one late night/ early morning by her daughter, and she can't help finding herself taking a walk down memory lane.


A/N: Got inspired one early morning, watching my mother tend to my newborn baby brother, and speaking to him about things he obviously doesn't understand, but I thought it was sweet all the same. ) Anyways, I always thought Botan would make a loving mother, so I wrote you all this little story.

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, wish I did though. /

"speaking"

' thoughts'

_flashbacks_

A loud whimper broke the ever so welcomed silence inside the sleepy house, forcing the blue haired woman out of her very warm bed, and into the next room. She stumbled over to the center of the room, still not completely awake. She gently lifted the being from the crib and took a seat in the rocking chair in the corner.

"Sssh...we don't want to wake everybody up, do we?" She whispered to the being she held so lovingly in her arms. Tiptoeing to the other side of the nursery, the former ferry woman peeked over the second cradle in the room, and stared lovingly at the being it held.

"Yuki-kun is still sleeping, Hanabi-chan. Let's let him rest, ne?" Botan said softly to her daughter, while adjusting the blankets around her sleepy son. After planting a kiss atop of her son's midnight locks, Botan turned her attention to her daughter's hungry, cherry red glare.

Botan giggled at the familiar face, and looked towards her bedroom where the man who invented the face lay hibernating. "Ne Hanabi-chan, sometimes when I look at you, all I can see is a mini clone of myself," Botan beamed at her daughter, "but when you do that face, I can't help but think of how much you look like you're father."

Memories of the recognizable scowl flew in her mind, dating back to when Botan first laid her eyes on the dignified fire koorime.

_"I'll try to prevent it from opening, you go and punch his brains out!" Botan yelled towards Yusuke, who was ready to fight Hiei the second he entered the warehouse. Placing her hands over Keiko's forehead, Botan was trying to ignore the fight going on, and concentrated on keeping the eye Hiei placed on Keiko shut._

_"Ah!" Botan exclaimed as she felt the burns of her white magic wearing off, but she pressed on, she wouldn't allow Keiko to turn into Hiei's mindless minion! _

_Hiei, taking notice of Botan's weakened state and sudden exclamation, turned his attention to Yusuke and announced, "Soon you'll have a girlfriend that is a demon, and an assistant that's dead!" _

_Botan, hearing this, looked straight at the fire demon and thought angrily to herself, 'Oh yeah? Well, I'm not dead yet you hateful little devil, and if I do die, I'll make sure to take you're miniscule self with me.' Finishing her thought, Botan glanced up at the demon once again to see his gaze focused solely on her. Noticing his infuriated scarlet glare directed at her, Botan squeaked and looked down at the girl she was currently trying to save._

_'Why is he staring at me like that?"' Botan wondered to herself, glancing up and feeling her cheeks grow as red as the demon's eyes that just kept staring at her. 'Did I say all that out loud? No, I couldn't have. I didn't. I know I didn't, it's not like I have a death wish...but then why is he glaring at me...?' Botan's thoughts were quickly interrupted by a familiar kitsune, offering his help. Botan quickly thanked him, and turned to see if the angry demon was still staring. Luckily for her, Yusuke had him engaged in their duel, but that didn't stop Hiei from glancing evilly one last time at the tired ferry girl, giving her a snarl and a good view of his two sharp fangs. Little did she know, Botan started a war that day, that would last for years. _

'If only I had known he was telepathic.' Botan thought humorously to herself with a content smile. Navigating her way in the dark to her room, Botan placed her daughter softly on the bed next to Hiei, and made her way to the closet, her glossy cyan locks brushing the middle of her back with each silent step.

Reaching into the closet, Botan grabbed a lovely garment off of it's hanger. As she was about to slip it on, she held it in front of her and took a long look at it. 'It still amazes me...' she thought to herself. She turned her back to the closet, and gazed at the snoozing koorime, unaware of his daughter's curious hands playing with his hair. Bringing her attention back to the garment in her hands, Botan looked at it with a dreamy smile and pleasantly sighed, "So thoughtful..."

After gazing at the fabric, Botan found herself taking a stroll down memory lane once again.

_Valentines Day. Botan hated the stupid ningen holiday, and now watching Yukina open another gift from Kuwabara, was making her hate it even more. "Oh my!" Yukina exclaimed in her docile voice, making Kuwabara blush. "Kazuma, it's so beautiful! Thank you!" Yukina said, taking the object out of the neatly wrapped box to show to the gang. _

_'Oh my is right.' Botan thought to herself in wonder, staring at the present with longing. _

_It was a beautiful hair pin, adorned with clusters of pearls, shaped to look like flowers, with shiny emeralds that made up the stems, and the rest was covered in sparkling white glitter, that gave the appearance of snow._

_'What was Kuwabara thinking?' Botan thought to herself, 'Yukina is far too modest and humble to wear that!' Botan then fixed her eyes at the scene before her. Kuwabara took the hair pin from Yukina's open hand, brushed back a stray lock of her mint colored tresses and with much care, secured it with the pin. He then whispered something to Yukina, that made her usually porcelain complexion turn scarlet, and with a bashful smile, she placed a kiss upon his cheek. _

_'Oh who am I kidding, Yukina loves it. I'm just being hateful and jealous.' After watching the sweet and shy exchange of kisses between Kuwabara and Yukina, Botan scanned the room for a certain overprotective brother, in hopes of stopping his plans to kill Kuwabara. When her eyes finally found the black clad koorime, she was surprised to see that Hiei did not look murderous, or uncomfortable with what had just happened between his sister and Kuwabara, and what Botan found was even more surprising was that Hiei's attention had been focused at her._

_Botan felt like a fly caught in a spider web. Although Hiei's expression was a content one, Botan still felt intimidated and couldn't break the eye contact. She had admitted to herself long ago that she found him attractive, but she had always been too afraid to stare into his eyes. After their first encounter, and the evil stare he had given her, Botan had refused to look at them again, and seeing them now after all that time was a shock to her, especially since now she found his ruby stare to be quite beautiful._

_'She's happy.' Botan said to Hiei, opening a connection in their minds. 'I can see that.' he replied, rather bluntly. _

_'And you're okay with it, and happy for her.' Botan stated almost proudly. '...yes...' he responded in an almost tired tone, and then added 'But you are not.' Botan gave a short surprised gasp, and then looked around rather embarrassedly making sure no one heard her little outburst. No one did. 'What are you talking about? I'm happy! I'm happy for Yukina! She deserves to **know** that she's loved by at least **one** person. Even though she wants to feel the love of her brother. And who are to say that I'm not happy for her, I supported her and Kuwabara's relationship while you condemned it.' Botan countered, hoping that it didn't offend him too much. _

_Hiei scowled, 'Hn...fine, but I'm not the one sulking jealously in the corner, cheapening Yukina's gift because I wish someone had gotten me one.' Botan's cheeks burned and her eyebrows furrowed, 'How dare you read my thoughts! And so what if I'm jealous, at least I admit it. You just focused all you're hate towards Kuwabara because of the affection he **bravely** expresses for Yukina because you're too afraid to let her know you love her! And I'm not just jealous of a trivial little trinket! What Yukina and Kuwabara have is unconditional love for each other, and I think it's a compliment to them that I'm jealous of it! I have the right to be jealous, Yukina just happened to snag a very caring man, I mean just **look** at what he got her. It's beautiful! Do you feel I should apologize for wanting to have someone care for me like Kuwabara does for Yukina?' Hiei's expression never changed, but Botan knew she hit a spot._

_Botan did not engage in a conversation with Hiei for the rest of his short stay, and for the most part kept to herself and out of all the chatter for that evening until her early departure not long after Hiei's. After her long walk home from Genkai's, Botan found herself extremely tired, and upon her entrance to her room, she plopped herself down on her bed, and drifted into a dreamless sleep. _

_Botan awoke in the early morning, to the pesky sun shining brightly through her blinds, and to the tone-deaf mailman singing loudly. Botan moaned as she burrowed her head underneath her blanket and covered her ears. 'Wait a second...' Botan thought opening one eye 'Blanket?' She looked down to see her blanket still made underneath her, and not covering her. 'Then what...' Botan's head slowly emerged from whatever it was covering her and gasped._

_"Oh my!!!" she exclaimed as she held the fabric out to have a better look at it. Botan looked at it and couldn't help but think of how much it reminded her of summer. It was a thin, silk kimono robe. It's pale yellow color contrasted greatly with the lilac butterflies that danced with the pastel blues, pinks and greens that swirled together and made up the flowers. Botan threw her legs over the side of the bed and quickly dressed herself in the robe._

_Inspecting herself in the mirror, Botan thought to herself that whoever had bought her this gift, had her hair and eye color, as well as her complexion in mind. The way her light blue locks against the soft yellow of the robe gave the illusion of a summer day thrilled her, and the rose pink petals that matched her own soft pink ones, made her dewy peaches and cream colored skin glow. She was astonished. But who would have given her such a gift?_

_Botan's question was answered, when peering into the mirror, she looked past her own reflection, and to the dark demon sitting on her window sill, and staring at her with the same amount of astonishment in his cherry red gaze as she had looked at herself with. "Hiei..." she started. She had no idea what to say. Just a thank you, Botan thought, wouldn't be enough. "Don't thank me" he simply stated. "It's merely a gift. An apology for reading you're mind last night." Botan just stared at him in wonder, "A...an apology? But, you've been mean to me since the day we've met, and...you've never apologized...why now?" Hiei smirked a little, "Let's just call it a truce." _

_Botan gave Hiei the biggest smile she had ever given him as she stood up and practically floated over to him. Sitting next to him on the window_ _sill, Botan turned her face and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and then proceeded to hug him tightly. Startled by all this, Hiei fell to the floor, taking Botan with him. As her laughter filled the room, Hiei's cheeks became so hot they resembled his eyes, "Hnnn.." he groaned. And the war had ended._

Botan's attention was brought back to the present, by the sound of her hungry, and impatient daughter fussing on her bed, waiting to be fed. "Gomenasai Hanabi-chan!" Botan gasped as she swiftly slipped in her favorite robe and tied the sash sloppily. Reaching for her daughter, Botan looked over to the still slumbering koorime. She placed a kiss upon his brow, followed with a whispered, "Arigatou, Hiei.." and quickly left the room.

While waiting for Hanabi's bottle to heat up, Botan took a seat in front of her daughter, who was safely in her high-chair, and smiled at her grumpy carbon copy. A few minutes had passed, Botan was beginning to get worried, 'That bottle better heat up faster...' Botan warned herself while glancing at the stove. Turning her attention back to her daughter, Botan noticed her brows were knit together in confusion/sadness. Botan knew that face. "No, no, no, Hanabi! Please, please don't cry!" She pleaded with the babe, but to no avail, as she began to hiccup, and the all too familiar crystal clear liquid trickled down her chubby cheeks, and hit the ground with a clatter.

Botan jumped up and ran to the stove and decided that although it was a little cold, that the bottle would do. The blue haired woman than approached the hysterical tot, and gently placed he bottle in front of her mouth. Silence had once again welcomed the house, and Botan gave a sigh of relief, and grinned at the now content Hanabi. "You know, I knew you were going to be the one to turn out as stubborn as Hiei." Botan said aloud to her happy daughter, while crouched down on the kitchen floor, picking up each individual tear gem.

'They really are beautiful...' Botan thought to herself as she picked up one of her daughter's crystallized tears, and held it up to the moons silver light. It was clear, and had only the faintest tint of the pearly yellow that was the color of Yukina's own tear gems. But unlike Hanabi and Yukina's pure and light tear gems, Hiei, as well as his and Botan's son's tear gems, held a more darker nature. 'The curse...' Botan reminded herself, 'of the forbidden male child...'

Although Hiei's tear gem differed from Yukina's in color, Botan thought it to be just as beautiful. Reaching into her robe, Botan clutched the necklace that adorned her neck, and brought it up to her face. Undoing the clasp, Botan sighed as she gazed at the three tear gems. In the middle, lay Hiei's tear gem, it had the same opalescence of Yukina's, and it's color was a rich onyx, the second curse, besides banishment from his birthplace, that the only male koorime bore. Botan then turned her attention to the two slightly smaller gems, carefully placed on either side of Hiei's. The one to the right, belonged to Hanabi, and the one to the left, belonged to her son; Yuki.

Botan smiled at her son's, as she thought it represented the perfect balance between an accepted female koorime's tear gem, and a cursed male's. 'The forbidden child's child...' Yuki's tear gem was translucent, like his sisters, and it's color was a dusty gray, almost silver, and inside of it danced black and white pearly swirls. Botan hoped that down the line, the tear gems would not cease to exist. At first Botan thought it was a curse that her children's tears were most precious and valuable diamonds in all three of the world's. But after Hiei's explanation of the importance of the tear gems, Botan hoped that it would forever stay in her family's genes.

_Botan lay, in a ningen hospital, utterly exhausted after giving birth to her two beautiful babies. She looked over to her good friend Kurama, who had been told under Hiei's instruction to keep watch over her, while Hiei stalked off after the nurses who left the room with his children. She gave Kurama a weary grin, which Kurama responded to with a chuckle. "Hiei's overprotective nature never ceases to amaze me." The ancient fox said, his knowing emerald eyes, sparkling with happiness for his friends._

_Botan rested under Kurama's watch, until Hiei's return, in response the fox quickly left, leaving the two some alone time. _

_It wasn't until the door was shut, did Hiei's eyes seem to hold a more softness to it, compared to the indifference he held while Kurama was in the room. He approached the bed his mate rested on, and sat on the edge, gazing at her tired and pale face. Botan smiled at Hiei, and said "They're beautiful, ne, Hiei?" Hiei just kept his warm ruby gaze at her and slowly nodded._

_"I have a gift for you." He announced after a few moments of their silent, loving gazes. "A gift?" Botan questioned innocently, her pink bubble-gum eyes looked at him with confusion. He reached into the pocket of the ningen clothes he was forced to wear while in public ningen places, and presented Botan with a piece of jewelry she greatly recognized. _

_"But Hiei, that's..." Botan started as she stared at the necklace Hiei presented before her. It was a necklace that she already owned, that held Hiei's tear gem, a present he had given her the night they became mates. "How did y-..." Botan stopped before she had finished her sentence. Hiei was the fastest demon she knew, and an accomplished thief at that; he could have easily taken it from her at anytime. Hiei then placed the piece of jewelry in her hand, and she noticed, that next to Hiei's tear gem, lay two more._

_"Hiei! Whose...whose tear gems are these?" She asked worriedly, but she feared she already knew the answer to her question. "These...they can't be...Hanabi and Yuki's?" Botan looked to Hiei, who just simply nodded. "Oh Hiei!" Botan exclaimed in obvious despair, holding the necklace away from her as if it meant harm, "What are we going to do?" Botan's began to water as she placed her hand over her mouth, "Hiei, our children could end up in the hands of someone like Tarukane!!! They could get kidnaped like Yukina, and tortured for their tear gems! Oh Hiei!!" Botan sobbed at her children's misfortune._

_"That will never happen. You're forgetting that I'm their father, koishii. No bad deed will befall Hanabi and Yuki. Not while I'm around." Hiei spoke with a firm gentleness, as he scooted closer to Botan and placed his hand over hers. "Besides," He began, "tear gems are very precious to koorime's, after all, they are the tangible embodiment of their sorrow. And you see, a tear gem is the greatest gift a koorime can give to someone, besides their love." Hiei looked a knowing look in his eyes. "It is a selfless act of a koorime giving their sorrows up, for a life long companionship." _

_Botan's tears had blinked away as she stared at her lover. "And," Hiei added again pointing to the necklace Botan now held with much more affection, "I've saved you Hanabi and Yuki's first tear gems." Botan's rosy pink eyes softened, "They're first?" she questioned dreamily. Hiei nodded, and helped Botan fasten the necklace on. Botan gave a contented sigh, and sunk back into her pillows and gazed at the greatest present she had ever received._

_After a few moments of silence, Botan regained her sleepiness and asked with a yawn, "What are the hospital staff going to think when they see our babies crying diamonds?" Hiei just smirked, and tapped the middle of his forehead, where his usual bandana disguised his jagan. Botan gave him a tired smile before drifting off into sleep._

Botan's attention was brought back abruptly to her daughter, kicking her feet in frustration, obviously done with her bottle, and anxious to break free of her high chair. Placing the cluster of tear gems on the table, Botan lifted her child out of her chair and held her on her hip, with one arm around her bottom, "I'm so sorry Hanabi-chan," Botan said as she gave her daughter a quick peck on her chubby cheek, "I've been spacing out all night...or...morning, now, I suppose." Botan added humorously as she gazed out her kitchen window to see the blue, hot pink and lilac striped sky, being painted by the now rising sun. Glancing at the clock Botan groaned. "5:30? You certainly do have odd eating habits, young lady. I think daddy will be doing all of your feedings from now on." Hanabi just smiled at her exhausted mother.

Climbing the stairs tiredly, Botan made her way to the room her twins shared. Walking into the orange glow of sun lit room, Botan noticed a familiar back, reaching into the crib that belonged to her son. Grasping his son from underneath his armpits and placing him on his hip, securing his weight with an arm underneath his bottom, Hiei faced his newly common-law wife, and raised his eyebrows at her. Botan stood, holding their daughter in the same manner as Hiei held their son, and gave them both a warm smile.

Yuki, noticing his mother, extended his arms, and reached for her, with and excited smile on his face. Botan giggled at her son's affection for her, and motioned for Hiei to take Hanabi, while she held her son. Holding his daughter and walking towards her crib Hiei rocked her gently and placed her on her soft bedding, and gave her a kiss on her blue haired head.

After giving her son endless amounts of kisses, she handed him back to Hiei and gave him a 'good morning' kiss, with a hint of a 'come hither' one. After kissing her daughter once more, Botan started for the door, but stopped when Hiei questioned, "Rough morning?" Turning around to face Hiei, Botan took a mental picture of the scene before her. Hiei held their son, and stood over their daughter's crib, adjusting the blankets around her sleepy form, and looked at her, with a questioning and slightly concerned face. "No," Botan answered sweetly, "just a memorable one."

Owari

A/N: Well I hoped you all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it! I might do a companion fic in Hiei's POV, well tell me what you all think!!!!


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